Nicollette Sheridan: Ready for Battle

Gearing up for a battle in court, Nicollette Sheridan is expecting a fight.

The “Desperate Housewives” star filed a lawsuit on Monday (April 5) alleging that she was assaulted and then wrongly fired from the show with her lawyer claiming that creator Marc Cherry was abusive on the set.

"We expect the case to be hard fought, and it will not be a surprise if ABC and Mr. Cherry try to depict Nicollette to be something other than a team player and long-standing industry professional," says attorney Mark Baute.

The 46 year-old actress is also suing for $20 million, for assault and battery, gender violence and wrongful termination. She also claims that Cherry hit her in the face when she questioned a script and was only killed off the show because she complained. "Nicollette worked very hard on the show and was a model employee," Baute says. "Mr. Cherry's behavior towards Nicollette was and is nothing short of abusive and appalling. The lawsuit is not something Nicollette wanted to do, it's something she felt compelled to do."

Baute claims the actress went to court only because ABC rejected her request for protection.
"Sometimes the only way that a safe and normal work environment can be created is when a hard-working person like Nicollette stands up for herself and her rights," he says, "and in doing so help protect others who have had to work in a hostile environment." ABC Studios stated towards the incident, “"While we have yet to see the actual complaint, we investigated similar claims made by Ms. Sheridan last year and found them to be without merit."